GOP - Falling on the Sword of Political "Forevers"

The GOP's Contemporary Political "Forevers"

Republicans casting their Party's perpetually inevitable future face.

MeanMesa encountered a very interesting, "rhetorical" question posed on the Bill Press Show [KABQ, Albuquerque, 1350 AM, 4 AM to 7 AM, weekdays] today. At first it didn't really seem to be that provocative, but it was "one of those things" that patiently burrows into one's mind like a hungry bed bug. Instead of this "gnawing sensation" subsiding with time, more and more of this "burrowing" went on, making the matter grow even more morbid by the minute.

It's time for the question posed to Mr. Press.

"Is the continued existence of Social Security dependent upon always having a Democrat in the White House?"

The "growing worse" part arrived in no time just like a morning toothache. More questions were sprouting just like spring dandelions in a beet patch.

"Does the continuing future existence of access to health care [the Affordable Care Act] also depend upon keeping a Democrat in the White House?"

And,

"Are the current legal guarantees enfranchising women to control the medical treatment of their own bodies depend upon keeping a Democrat in the White House?"

And,

"Is the current legal enfranchisement of homosexual citizens to marry dependent on keeping a Democrat in the White House?"

And,

"Does the prospect of ever actually ending one of the endless GOP wars depend upon keeping a Democrat in the White House?"

And,

"Is the possibility of ever creating an economy with income increases among the 90% dependent upon keeping a Democrat in the White House?"

The list of questions could extend beyond these examples, but the implication grows shockingly clear. That "clarity" means that the answers to such questions are easily within the grasp of voters and are going to emerge almost spontaneously a few minutes after they are posed.

This is the political rhetoric Republican candidates very casually offer as an "inspirational," persuasive argument to their base voters. When such comments are being made in pre-primary campaigning directed at the goal of delivering fickle "evangelicals" and mysteriously ill defined "self proclaimed conservatives" to caucuses and primaries, all civility is eagerly dispatched in favor of an admittedly confused pursuit of blatant racism and other socially violent priorities derived directly from straight Old Testament mythology.

Think of it as the equivalent of a "pep talk" delivered to grumbling Klansmen before they mount the pick up trucks for a good cross burning and a satisfying episode of burping and beer drinking rifle fire. Locating and energizing this rather awkward minority has now become an essential, de rigueur phase in the process of hoisting oneself to lime light of potential GOP Presidential nominee.

Are These Even Political Questions and Answers?

Importantly, these troubling "answers" do not reflect any political policy issues, at least not in the sense that they are presented in this post. With respect to the point of this post, these "answers" are permanently defining the full possibilities of the future Republican Party.

An exaggeration? Test the premise by formulating a political narrative in which Republican campaigns might ever return to actual political issues after "riding this bull" with suffocating consistency through a series of election campaigns. [Granted, the GOP's obvious obedience to the interests of the oligarch class might "confuse" the process of forming these conclusions a bit -- but not much.]

All of these incendiary manipulations now comprise the GOP's "public face." There is no more substance tucked away in political subtleties somewhere out of sight. This is it.

If visitors to the blog have any "Republican friends," try out this conversational gambit.

"Well, this campaign has really started me thinking about my progressive ideas. The more I hear from these Republican candidates, the more attractive I am finding their policy positions. Which of the policy proposals do you find most interesting from your point of view?"

It'll get better as it ages. [image]

Of course a few rules must be imposed to exclude poorly defined responses such as "restoring liberty," "taking our country back," "moochers," "entitlements" and so on. Should one of those banal talking points be materially linked to some sort of actual political policy, it's only fair that your friend should supply plenty of details.

It is not the case that this embarrassing clutch of retrograde ideology simply accompanies some other, more sensible, more substantial part of the GOP's political message -- there is no other part which might possibly rehabilitate this highly visible "fog, fear, fury and feathers" much less even hint at making it relevant. This craziness is not a cosmetic distraction. It is more like a tattoo -- a permanent one -- quite reminiscent to one applied by one's own hand in a prison cell.

This part of the clown car have already been elected.
GOP 113th House Committee Chairmen. [image]

Interestingly, the Republicans have undertaken this "re-branding" in the absence of some desired image as an outcome. The billionaires who own the Republican Party are far too pragmatic to have premeditated this descent to the current, laughable, clown car status. No, all this was accomplished without direction -- totally by default. 

In fact this outcome is a monument to what happens when there is no direction at all. What we see is raw cynicism. This appeal to the GOP base required no particular structure. Any gambit which moved the polls was immediately added to the well financed GOP political landfill. While this tactic seemed to produce almost automatic results in the polls, it was "only fun until it put someone's eye out." Now -- regardless of whatever election outcomes it might produce in the short term -- the branding has become permanent.

The Republican Party is doomed. It has signed its own death warrant -- in permanent ink.

A Post Posting Post Script

Just as this post is being completed, MeanMesa is listening to Senate Republicans considering amendments to proposals for emergency relief for Flint, Michigan. After the Republicans looters in the State government managed to poison the city's children, the ancient GOP Federal Senators are talking about "offsets." [Washington Post]

Rusting to death from irrelevance may not be too painful. Rest in peace.

MeanMesa's compliments to the President.